The one thing people always tell someone battling cancer is ‘you’re going to lose hair, be prepared’, problem is, they never tell you, take care of your scalp, because the hair does grow back! Holding on to negative thoughts and perceptions is the one thing most people do. But we’d say don’t! Yes, we agree, one does lose hair, maybe in shreds, maybe all of it, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to care for your scalp anymore. The minute your body has malignant cancer cells, it brings on itself a whole dose of sensitivity. You’re entire body is sensitive to burns, infections and germs. But you also need to realize that your bare scalp also is super sensitive,...

‘Have all the fun you want, do the things you’ve never done, or always wanted to do’. One would be used to hearing this very often. Most times in their mid-twenties. When you’re diagnosed with an illness, these lines waver a bit. This might seem like something that probably would never come to your mind, but there are a few cases where people have considered – getting a tattoo. The first thing with tattoos are that they aren’t the most hygienic, and the scabs that they cause won’t heal at all. The dead skin that the tattoo creates around itself after a few days, won’t peal off and will lead to scars on your body. There is a literal 95%...

A couple of weeks after my friend finished her radiation, she cut off the last few strands of her hair. We noticed, her hair had fallen less drastically than most others. Basically, the rate of her hair fall was way slower than the usual that we’ve seen. With my own mother, her hair fell within the first three weeks of Chemo. Wondering how that happened, we realised that it was the temperature Archana was used to. She always sat in an air conditioned room, even in her house, the AC was always switched on, keeping her head cool. The cold air over the head usually narrows the blood vessels. Cold packs on the head generally avoid quick hair fall. Cold...

The first myth attached with cancer is loss of hair. But to be honest, these phases are not constant and differ from patient to patient. I know a few who have lost their hair within the first chemo cycle. Then there are others who had a gradual hair loss – first thinning, then falling, then slightly patchy and then it comes off. You cannot particularly know what it’s going to be like for you. But there is the perfect way of pre planning for whatever the case may be. And as much as you might want to – doing a complete shave is not the only way to avoid the trauma of losing your hair (especially for women). You can...

Just a few weeks post commencing Chemo treatment, your skin is sure to get affected. Depending on how sensitive it is and how you are taking it in – Cannula or the magical port, your skin changes colour and the softness begins to fade. The chemicals take a real toll on it. For my mom – her feet and cheeks were most affected. None of these changes can be avoided, but it’s important to know that it is ONLY temporary. Once you’re done with Chemo, it comes back to normal. The time however is not fixed – could take from a couple months to sometimes a whole year. Then there is Radiation – this also has its effects on the...